The Strong and the Beautiful
by KyaniteD
Summary: Post series. Anthy finds what she's been looking for, but does she? Or has someone else beat her to it? Eventually UtenaXAnthy. I hope. Let me know if you want more.
1. Finally

Juri.

She had found her.

Juri was there.

The leopard had been faster.

Or had she been here all the time?

Dark skinned fingers curled around the dull metal of the mesh-wire fence that surrounded the basketball court.

All those months she had been searching. Or was it years?

And finally, the trace had led her here, in the end, only to...

She had been watching her playing all by herself. Dribbling the ball over the asphalt, scoring from every spot of the playing field. Just like she remembered. Just like back then... A wave of pink hair following her when she ran from one side to the other, the long legs stretching even longer with every jump. The sweaty tank top, the tight... and then, suddenly, a whistle from the other side of the field, and there she was: Juri. Even in tattered jeans and the pale pink, washed-out button down shirt she looked stunningly beautiful, enigmatic and graceful like a leopard.

The ball was resting now. Comfortly. In those strong arms, where she once... And the leopard was clearing the distance between herself and her prey, and she watched as they... she wanted to look away, the pain would be too much to bear, after all those months. Years. Time. Every single hour had hurt. But she watched, and the leopard kissed her. Her breath hitched and it felt as if her heart was choking on the rush of blood. She kissed her cheek, put her arm around the sweaty body and led her away. Away. Away from her sight, and the loss to her eyes was almost physical pain.

She stared at the empty court for a while, her fingers still clutching the wire. There was a strength in her grip that had almost cut off the blood from her fingertips. She could feel the tingle of approaching numbness, but no observer would have noticed the blood loss in those delicate limbs - the darkness of her skin hid all too well what was beneath it... 


	2. Saved

Anthy was about to turn away and go...

_Home._

She had no home. Not anymore. She had left her past, her brother, the house... - everything she used to call home. To search for something better. Someone better. And while she had been searching, the road had been her home. She would wash dishes to pay for her food and the dusty, cramped rooms in which she stayed not longer than a few days.

And she still wore the same clothes she did when she left. She had washed them over and over again, but, no matter how clean they were, after all that time they still looked like rags.

She had left with nothing. And so here she stood, with nothing.

She had found the palace where her heart longed to reside, but the night would be falling soon and she would need to find some accommodation.

But before she could will her eyes away, she saw them emerging from a narrow building next to the sports ground. The prince from her dreams had changed into casual street wear and the leopard had draped her arm possesively around her shoulder. The girl's arm around the young woman's waist seemed to validate the claim, and together they walked towards a sports car.

_Together. _

It hurt. It hurt so much, more than any pain any blade or hand had ever inflicted on her. It was a pain she could neither run nor hide from.

She hurried to get a cab to follow them. She did not care about a bed for the night or her empty stomach. She had found her. And now she was leaving with someone else. She needed more information. They left together and she needed to know where they were going. Even if that meant to torture herself. Emotionally, and physically, because the nights would be cold this time of the year.

The sound of a sporty engine being revved up startled her out of her reverie. Her body sprang into action, she could feel the nervous tension in every muscle screaming for release and she started to run and...

She could hear the screeching tires and another rush of blood as she froze and stared into the widened eyes of...


	3. Damsel in Distress

Darkness. 

Just... darkness. No voices, no cold breeze, no harsh words, no seducer. 

_Himemiya... Himemiya! ... Are you running away? ... Snap out of it! ... Himemiya! ... Take my hand! ... Shine... Himemiya..._

"... wake up. Miss? Can you hear me? You have to wake up. Are you alright?" 

There was a ray of light, and a flash of warm color. An angelic face framed by an orange mane of curls. And the bluest eyes she had ever seen since... 

"Utena," she whispered. 

A frown appeared on the angel's face, and it almost felt like punishment for doing something wrong. 

" What...? How...?" Even with a tinge of confusion Juri's sweet, low humming voice was alluring.

Tentatively, Anthy looked around. She lay on a bed in a scarcely decorated room. But, from all she knew, this was no...

_Screeching tires and eyes widened with horror. A thud, a surge of searing pain, darkness._

... hospital.

"Where am I?" she asked, mirroring some of Juri's confusion.

"In my apartment."

"B-but why?"

"You ran into my car, do you remember? I... I slowed down but I couldn't stop in time and hit you. You bumped your head on the hood and lost your consciousness. You seemed unharmed otherwise, so we decided to take you home with us. You didn't have any bags or documents with you and we figured you might not appreciate being taken to a hospital. So... how do you... " The gentle voice stopped. She turned her head to the door for a moment, then looked back at her. "So, how are you feeling?"

"Fine," she whsipered. "Just... just my head..."

Juri smiled sympathetically. "Feeling dizzy?"

Anthy nodded lightly.

"Any pain, anywhere?"

Carefully, she shook her head. There was no pain at all, just a little dizziness, and that might as well be the hunger...

"What's your name, Miss?"

Anthy stared at the older woman. She didn't remember her? Or was that some kind of test?

"Himemiya. Himemiya Anthy."

Juri took her hand and smiled brightly. "Pleased to meet you, Himemiya Anthy-san. I'm Arisugawa Juri, but please call me Juri. And I'm sorry for the circumstances..."

Anthy lowered her eyes. "But Juri-sama, it was not your fault..."

"Oh please, ..." Juri was about to protest, but there was some jingling sound outside the door, accompanied with some mild curses.

"Juri? Juri! Help me! Open the door!"


End file.
